Well Deserved
by SargeantWoof-AO3
Summary: The Seven deserve happiness just as much as anyone else.


The dining room on the Argo II was quiet. Piper was trying to enjoy the few moments of peace they were having before the fighting began again. Gaea had no respect for her grandchildren's sleeping patterns or lives, for that matter.

"Do you ever think about dying a lot?" Annabeth's soft voice broke the silence on the Argo II. Percy startled, exchanging looks with everyone. Annabeth had hardly spoken in the weeks since Tartarus. The only thing that she consistently said, were the words 'I love you' and that was only to Percy.

Jason cleared his throat. "Annabeth, I think that… uh… I don't know-"

Hazel's voice broke in, "I do." She paused before taking a deep breath. "I think about how it feels dying. I'm terrified that once this is all over Thanatos will reclaim me. Why?"

Annabeth shook her head, "It's nothing, really. Just dreams."

"Hey, Wise girl. It's ok. Death is something natural. No one wants to die, really but we just have to accept it." Percy said, trying to alleviate her worries.

"Easy for you to say! You were prophesized to die! You accepted it a long time ago. I haven't." Percy flinched back as though he had been shot as the rest of the demigods froze. They all knew of the basics of the first great prophecy but they hadn't ever heard it brought up like this.

"I lived though, I haven't died yet. I'm okay. We're okay. We can win." Percy sighed. "I can't change the fact that I'm involved. I can't change that you're involved, as much as I want to. All I want is for the world to be safe. If I have to die for that, it's a worthy cause. If I have to die for you…." Annabeth glared at him, while everyone shifted uncomfortably.

"You're stupid if you think you're dying and leaving me." At her words Piper realized that Annabeth's fear was based on the idea of Percy dying and her being unable to follow. Their love was so strong that she truly believed that Annabeth could bring him back to life, at least just to kill him again for leaving her. She wondered if Percy or Annabeth truly realized how strong their relationship was.

Leo broke the quiet next, "Hey Perce? I was wondering something but, if this is a bad time…" He smiled, looking sheepish.

Percy sighed, "Go ahead Leo." He supposed that at this point he should be used to Leo's somewhat weird timing and questions.

"What's was up with the gray streaks in your hair before? Like from when we found you in New Rome. I noticed Annabeth had one too and I was just wondering why you two would dye your hair gray together." At his question Annabeth and Percy looked at each other softly, smiling.

"Well, one winter, about three or four years ago Annabeth got kidnapped-"

"Hey! No thanks to you!"

"I'm not the one who piggybacked a monster!" Franks eyebrows rose, as everyone else stifled laughs at the image.

"Well you were being stupid." She said as if that justified her actions.

Percy rolled his eyes at her fondly. "ANYways, I snuck onto a quest and after many problems we found her, along with Artemis who had been captured. Artemis was holding up the sky after Annabeth had been for days. I was fighting Atlas, when I was pushed back to where Artemis was. Artemis said that Annabeth's strong spirit was the only way she survived." Jason looked impressed at Percy's words while everyone else was gaping at Annabeth. She was blushing under all the attention, glaring at Percy.

"Okay," Leo said, dragging the word out. "So Annabeth got the streak from holding the sky up? And you just dyed your hair to match hers for no reason?"

Annabeth snorted, "No Leo. Seaweed brain held the sky too. It was probably his stubbornness that gave him the strength."

"Hey!" Percy protested.

Frank found his voice, shaking his head at them. "And you two were how old?"

"Uh… 14, I think? It was the winter between untreeing Thalia and the Labyrinth. So yeah, 14." Percy announced. The rest of the group stared at them, but they both were unfazed, smiling at each other.

"Good times, eh Wise girl?"

"Not as good as Circe's Island."

Percy groaned, "I thought we weren't going to ever mention that again."

Annabeth giggled, not noticing how much brighter Percy's entire face became at the sound of her laughter. "But you were such a cute guinea pig."

"Whoa whoa whoa. Jackson was a guinea pig? Please tell me you have pictures." Percy glared at Leo, before sneaking a peek at Annabeth who was laughing for the first time in a long time.

Piper internally squealed at the amount of love that was flowing from Percy. She was so happy that Annabeth had someone as great as Percy. She jumped slightly as an arm slid around her shoulders.

"She looks happy." Jason's voice said, echoing her own thoughts.

"Yeah" Piper returned. "She deserves it."

"I think we all deserve it."

Piper smiled sleepily at Jason before looking back around the room. Leo was laughing at Percy and Percy was trying to desperately explain himself. Frank looked slightly mystified, while Hazel was trying, and failing, to look serious. And Annabeth was at the center of it all, her gray eyes flashing with laughter for the first time in weeks.

Yeah, Piper thought. We all deserve happiness.


End file.
